Wheels Car of the Year 2006
 

[url="http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21106510-1702,00.html"]http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21106510-1702,00.html[/url]

[QUOTE]The VE Commodore was designed in Australia at a cost of $1.2 billion, and unveiled in July last year.[/QUOTE]

[url="http://wheels.carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?ArticleID=2318577&TabID=500483&Alias=wheelsau"]http://wheels.carpoint.ninemsn.com.au/DesktopDefault.aspx?ArticleID=2318577&TabID=500483&Alias=wheelsau[/url]

no mention of the libbo?

Woohoo


Let the holden bashing begin!!
:boxing:

I find wheels very biased towards the aussie made cars .... them seem to bash anything that isnt either holden or ford ..... maybe because those are the two that tip the most advertising dollars into the mag???

Yep its definately because of that.... and a large portion of their readers are Holden/Ford men, can't have some Jap spec showing them how its really done :D

What has the VE actually done thats remotely new? ITs another GIANT sedan with a GIANT pushrod engine of 6L at a time when fuel prices are soaring. It still has shitter suspension setup than a soarer from like the 1980's and the build quality is probably worse also. What a joke

Its almost as much of a joke as that Car and Driver magazine from the USA giving the car of year award to the Toyota Aurion hunk of shit

I'm going to buy that magazine and have a look at who the other contenders were. They do have a very specific (and published) selection criteria (and no it isn't 'It has to be a Ford or Holden") :D

I suspected the Commodore would win, Every new shape Commodore to debut has taken the prize..

I actually don't think it's bias 'cause it conforms to their way of thinking...
as in it stacks up against their list of selection criteria, Much in the way that a 40 year old engineer probably wouldn't be selected for a job at McDonalds...

come on people, you know commodores are a better car and clearly Wheels magazine feels the same way!! ;)

by the way, i also have a commodore in the shed and my company car is a VZ!!

Now does anyone want to trade their wrx/sti for an award winning commonwhore? :p

i love my VE SV6 its the best car holden has made, but i wouldnt buy 1......very economical as it cost me nothing to run......

gimmi a new clubsport over a Sti anyday

Makes you wonder if they left out the cars they knew would beat it. There was a whole special 1 off issue done by wheels on the VE comodore.
No liberty or Impreza tested. Very strange.
I think the new VE has a mean stance, but to me it's still a holden. I have never driven one (VE) but would like to, just for a comparison. Holden should honestly go for something thats more economical. They are an expensive car to own and they don't hold their value at all. Perfect car? :-P

Liberty or Impreza arent considered different enough to test as a brand new model..

[QUOTE=waxdass]gimmi a new clubsport over a Sti anyday[/QUOTE]

Sure just give holden dealer an extra $20-25k no problem. Then expect to lose 20% of value once you drive it off the lot. Poor resell value = commonwhore clubsport, SS, VE, whatever!

I went from a wrx to a VE SS.
Why??
Why not? At 300+ kg heavier than a wrx and can run a better 1/4 when both in stock form! (anyone see the stock ve ss's run a 13.3 and 13.5 at plex?)
I test drove the new wrx and the ss, and the ss was ALOT more (IMO) fun to drive. The steering, handling, instant power and space are so much better than previous model commonwhores. The people that think they are the same old car have either 1: not driven 1 for more than a day (im not talking about a 5 min test drive) and 2: have no reason other than to bag the car.
My oldies have always had HSV's and i was a avid jap car lover (except for the oldschool like torries, XY's and the like) but after taking this car for a drive and doing some research on the motors (especially the USA aftermarket info) was sold easily. There is ALOT of potential in these cars ( HP-F 10.9sec single turbo kit springs to mind)
I absolutely love my wrx's, always have and always will. But this car really changed my view on barge cars.
As for fuel consumption, its fuck all compared to my old rex. Still get around 12.5-13.8ltr per 100km after giving it shit around the place. (these cars run very rich from factory)
Like any car, you only use as much fuel as you choose too! Drive your car like a granny and you'll use that amount of fuel!

The special on the 'billion dollar baby' that wheels did was due to being given ALOT of info, photos, how the car began, what was involved, test drive vehicles and the ins-and-outs of the VE series. Seen subaru, ford, mitsubishi or anyone do that? Comes down to marketing, and for holden they had the money to do such a thing. Same thing would happen if subaru gave the same amount of info. (Then again, it is aussie magazine and about a aussie car so :( )
We all know subaru and evo's get GREAT feedback towards BFYB etc in these mags.

And in regards to resale, i dont know about you guys but i dont buy cars to try to get the most back on it when i sell it. I buy it cause i like it and it fits what i want to do to it. Can someone say resale value on a rex?

The reason the VE won - 2 engines, 5 states of tune (stock 6, gas 6, hi-po 6, 8, hsv8), 4 transmissions (4 speed auto,5speed auto, 6 speed auto, 6speed manual), 4 suspension set ups (stock, FE2, Calais/statesman, MRC) 6 wheel and tire combos, different interior combos/setups
IE: there is a range from base to hi-po unlike the other 'new' cars of 2006 (read: not series 2 but new designed cars)

Not trying to start a shit fight guys, but just putting the info on the table.
PS; i would own a peanut STi (from new) over my VE SS. Unfortunately i couldnt find one with 9kms on it.

duno, i would take anything more decent IMO, over the Sti.
we drive a jap commodore after all, nothign to bat over.
EURO FTW!!!1111

Holden
 

Just another bucket of shit.
After having Holdens and Fords, I got sick of losing thousands of dollars in depreciation.
Build shit
Resale shit
16L motor, gearbox museum
They have a long way to go to beat the japs

[QUOTE='[W ARGHH X]']I went from a wrx to a VE SS.
Why??
Why not? At 300+ kg heavier than a wrx and can run a better 1/4 when both in stock form! (anyone see the stock ve ss's run a 13.3 and 13.5 at plex?)
I test drove the new wrx and the ss, and the ss was ALOT more (IMO) fun to drive. The steering, handling, instant power and space are so much better than previous model commonwhores. The people that think they are the same old car have either 1: not driven 1 for more than a day (im not talking about a 5 min test drive) and 2: have no reason other than to bag the car.
My oldies have always had HSV's and i was a avid jap car lover (except for the oldschool like torries, XY's and the like) but after taking this car for a drive and doing some research on the motors (especially the USA aftermarket info) was sold easily. There is ALOT of potential in these cars ( HP-F 10.9sec single turbo kit springs to mind)
I absolutely love my wrx's, always have and always will. But this car really changed my view on barge cars.
As for fuel consumption, its fuck all compared to my old rex. Still get around 12.5-13.8ltr per 100km after giving it shit around the place. (these cars run very rich from factory)
Like any car, you only use as much fuel as you choose too! Drive your car like a granny and you'll use that amount of fuel!

The special on the 'billion dollar baby' that wheels did was due to being given ALOT of info, photos, how the car began, what was involved, test drive vehicles and the ins-and-outs of the VE series. Seen subaru, ford, mitsubishi or anyone do that? Comes down to marketing, and for holden they had the money to do such a thing. Same thing would happen if subaru gave the same amount of info. (Then again, it is aussie magazine and about a aussie car so :( )
We all know subaru and evo's get GREAT feedback towards BFYB etc in these mags.

And in regards to resale, i dont know about you guys but i dont buy cars to try to get the most back on it when i sell it. I buy it cause i like it and it fits what i want to do to it. Can someone say resale value on a rex?

The reason the VE won - 2 engines, 5 states of tune (stock 6, gas 6, hi-po 6, 8, hsv8), 4 transmissions (4 speed auto,5speed auto, 6 speed auto, 6speed manual), 4 suspension set ups (stock, FE2, Calais/statesman, MRC) 6 wheel and tire combos, different interior combos/setups
IE: there is a range from base to hi-po unlike the other 'new' cars of 2006 (read: not series 2 but new designed cars)

Not trying to start a shit fight guys, but just putting the info on the table.
PS; i would own a peanut STi (from new) over my VE SS. Unfortunately i couldnt find one with 9kms on it.[/QUOTE]

$$$ to burn huh! I think some of us do care about resale value. Have a look at resale ratings in motor mags and then tell me you don't care! Flame suit on!

As much as i dislike Holden (and i've grown up with them in my family for the last 23 years) the new ones do seem better than a standard WRX. When you look at power to weight, its fairly close too and while the STi is in a different league, its also in a different price range.

I do agree that buying an Aussie car (well actually most cars) brand new is a big waste of money (but perhaps [W ARGHH X] is well off and comfortable in his finances??) but second hand they can be a good buy. Also some people like to have a brand new car.

Also i dont think theres all that much difference in build qualities. WRX's certainly arent BMW's and the like ;)

[QUOTE=Mat]As much as i dislike Holden (and i've grown up with them in my family for the last 23 years) the new ones do seem better than a standard WRX. When you look at power to weight, its fairly close too and while the STi is in a different league, its also in a different price range.

I do agree that buying an Aussie car (well actually most cars) brand new is a big waste of money (but perhaps [W ARGHH X] is well off and comfortable in his finances??) but second hand they can be a good buy. Also some people like to have a brand new car.

Also i dont think theres all that much difference in build qualities. WRX's certainly arent BMW's and the like ;)[/QUOTE]
price comparions might be good starting point for this thread. 07 STI = $62k on road. Commodore S/S = ??, VE = $$, etc

1. Select an engine/transmission type:
Commodore SS 6.0L 6-speed manual Generation 4 Alloy V8 $44,990.00 RRP*
Commodore SS 6.0L 6-speed automatic with Active Select Generation 4 Alloy V8 $46,990.00 RRP

Thats according to Holdens website before any of the add on stuff. NFI how much ORC's are? Would it be 3 or 4K?

Either way, its like comparing apples to oranges and keep in mind the truely legendary Camira and the Leyland P76 or something once won COTY ;) Wheels also seem very Holden biased too, but perhaps thats how they make more money.

Perhaps it didnt deserve the win? Maybe it did but stupid comments like "its a bucket of shit" is hardly the public opinion if they are selling well.

[QUOTE=Mat]1. Select an engine/transmission type:
Commodore SS 6.0L 6-speed manual Generation 4 Alloy V8 $44,990.00 RRP*
Commodore SS 6.0L 6-speed automatic with Active Select Generation 4 Alloy V8 $46,990.00 RRP

Thats according to Holdens website before any of the add on stuff. NFI how much ORC's are? Would it be 3 or 4K?

Either way, its like comparing apples to oranges and keep in mind the truely legendary Camira and the Leyland P76 or something once won COTY ;) Wheels also seem very Holden biased too, but perhaps thats how they make more money.

Perhaps it didnt deserve the win? Maybe it did but stupid comments like "its a bucket of shit" is the hardly general publics opinion[/QUOTE]
thaks for input Mat, it's clearly no bucket of shit - infact it looks like it's been designed with AWD in mind, guess they just ran out of $$. AWD and the commodore starts to really stand out, without no interest for me! :D

Im sure Holden were experimenting with AWD a while back? On those unusual looking Monaros (??).

Bring on a 1900kg 6L awd sedan! Seemed to work ok for the Veyron :p

HSV Coupe4

Hmmm interesting thread but how fast can the 6L barge go around a track? $ for $ my money is on the WRX. If you want a quick nimble car go a WRX, if you want comfortable family car thats quick in a straight line and can impress your mates with some burnouts the Commodore is a great car. These two cars really shouldn't be compared, they are designed for completely different purposes.

See i disagree when it comes to the WRX being quick and nimble. Maybe 7 years ago, however I guess build quality, rules and reg's has changed since then! 05's are still 1500kgs+ and thats a lot for 2l to push!

What would be good is to see one GOOD driver hit Barbagello and compare a few of these cars (say XR6t, ss's, sti's, evos etc) on the same day. That way driving skill doesnt come into play. Give him 10 laps of each car and then let the results do the speaking. Would be a real world test and could possibly make a good feature in PSC (TJ??)

Agreed, i've lost count of the times i wish i didn't buy this MY03 and gone for a GC series WRX but even the GD is a lot more nimble than a Falcodore. I'd also like to see a direct comparison especially on a longer track like Barbagallo. Im going on what i've seen and driven against at AHG sprint and Collie and the similarly modified Barges just don't stand a chance especially on tighter circuits.

[QUOTE=Mat]What would be good is to see one GOOD driver hit Barbagello and compare a few of these cars (say XR6t, ss's, sti's, evos etc) on the same day. That way driving skill doesnt come into play. Give him 10 laps of each car and then let the results do the speaking. Would be a real world test and could possibly make a good feature in PSC (TJ??)[/QUOTE]
What we need is THE STIG!

WRX over commodore any day. I think it's the type of people that drive them that put me off them, not the car itself. The fact that the resale value is bad means virtually any Jo Blo can by a second hand one cheap as a first car, whereas the resale value of WRX's and the price of insurance means you need a bit more cash for a first car, which sorts the wheat from the chaff... so to speak. Basically, [B]slightly[/B] more experienced and [B]slightly[/B] more sensible people drive WRX's.

[QUOTE=Pettata]What we need is THE STIG!

WRX over commodore any day. I think it's the type of people that drive them that put me off them, not the car itself. The fact that the resale value is bad means virtually any Jo Blo can by a second hand one cheap as a first car, whereas the resale value of WRX's and the price of insurance means you need a bit more cash for a first car, which sorts the wheat from the chaff... so to speak. Basically, [B]slightly[/B] more experienced and [B]slightly[/B] more sensible people drive WRX's.[/QUOTE]

You rang? :D

Having driven a Monaro & STi/EVO around our test track, I can tell you categorically that the Holden (Vauxhall in UK) doesn't even come close - too heavy & inefficient suspension/brakes vs power output when compared to the turbo AWD cars.

[QUOTE=Pettata]
. Basically, [B]slightly[/B] more experienced and [B]slightly[/B] more sensible people drive WRX's.[/QUOTE]

ROFL, have you not noticed some of the younger people signing up to these very forums. WRX's are the new silvia

My ss cost me $48k on road.
I definately dont have money to burn or anything like that but like i was saying, if your main concern about buying a (new)car is what your going to lose on it, then its not worth buying a new car and you may aswell buy a MY94 wrx. As the VE is new, i couldnt buy a cheaper one.
I've lost alot on my wrx's (not including selling my 12sec MY94 for $12.5k) and considering people have bought MY00 for as low as $14k with less than 100,000km on the clock (red book is a crock of shit, you will only get back what someone will pay for it) show that they also dont exactly hold their value much.
As for track times, Motor did a track run on the north circuit at oran park for the BFYB. Their times were :
Wrx - 37.5 sec
STi - 35.5 sec
evo IX - 35.2 sec
rs4 - 36.4 sec
xr6t - 37.4sec
ss - 36.8sec

so its no track warrior but its still faster than a standard new wrx.
A modified wrx vs a modified VE SS may be a different story. ALOT more development has gone into the wrx for parts ( as we all know, wrx's are out in jpn alot longer than they are released in aus ) so they would definately have an advantage there. But coil-overs are already available on the VE and tuning etc is also on the increase. Only a matter of time till someone goes all out on one. Bring on GTP!
As said before, would be good to see a modifed version of both put on Barbagello.
Im probably just trying to justify my purchase, but yeah they are honestly different to the older model commodores. Holden are actually starting to learn a bit. (ps: plus we keep some peoples jobs in the country..thats gotta be a good thing!)

[QUOTE=Mat]ROFL, have you not noticed some of the younger people signing up to these very forums. WRX's are the new silvia[/QUOTE]
Hence the "slightly's"